MYTHS AND TRUTHS ABOUT BUYING TRAVEL TRAILERS AND FIFTH WHEELS
Fri Aug 15, 2008
For most people, a RV is a major investment. And trying to make the right decision is confusing. Every dealer you visit tries to convince you that the products they are trying to sell you is the best value. So who do you believe?
Any salesperson worth his/her salt has to be convinced in their own mind that what they are selling is the best on the market for the money. Otherwise they would not be able to convince the customer. But just because they believe it doesn’t make it true.
Everybody wants to get the best deal and not spend more than is necessary. Keep in mind YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR. There are a lot of good quality products out there. There are also some sub-standard products that look as good when they are new but they won’t hold up over time and this will cost you a lot of money when it comes time to trade it or sell it.
How do you know if you are getting a good or a sub-standard product? Here are some things to look for and some myths that you need to be aware of.
FACT:
THE FLOOR IS THE LIFE OF THE TRAILER. Unlike a house, the floor is the first thing that goes on the chassis. The walls and everything sits on top of the floor. If you buy a trailer with a weak floor, and over time the floor begins to sag or deteriorate the value of your trailer is drastically reduced.
MYTH:
OSB (particle board) is better than plywood. It’s better for the manufacturer NOT THE CUSTOMER. Particle board can be bought in lengths up to 30 feet so it’s more cost effective for the manufacturer to install rather than plywood that comes in 4X8 sheets. And it’s cheaper than plywood. They tell you its better because it does not have sections like plywood thus eliminating any floor squeak. And it has a 12 year warranty.
FACT:
What they don’t tell you is that the warranty is void if the particle board gets wet. (READ THE WARRANTY) The warranty only covers materials not the cost of labor. What happens to particle board when it gets wet? IT COMES APART! It only takes one time for you to leave a compartment door, entry door or roof vent open when it raining, or have a water leak around the toilet or faucet that you are unaware of to ruin your new trailer. Unfortunately, you can’t just raise the trailer up and put in a new floor. Your trailer is no good without a floor.
Why do most manufacturers use particle board? It’s cheaper than plywood and takes less time to install. If they save just $100.00 a trailer and manufacturer 20,000 trailers a year, that’s a lot of money they saved.
Let me purpose a question.
If the manufacturer skimps on something as important as the floor (which is the life of the trailer), what else did they skimp on to save money? Either in the construction of the unit itself or the quality of other items such as carpet, sofa and chair materials, drapes, etc. Yes, they all look good when they are new (just like a new $99.00 sofa). But will these materials last or will the carpet start to fade, your sofa start to sag and show wear in just a year or two? These are things you need to consider when shopping for a trailer. Remember you usually get what you pay for.
RECOMMENDATION
Make sure the trailer you purchase has plywood floors. When properly installed plywood floor will not squeak when you walk on it and it will not separate if it becomes wet like particle board. It will last you for many years to come. If the manufacturer takes the extra time, money and effort to install a good plywood floor I would feel more comfortable that the manufacturer would build a better all round quality product.
MYTH
Rubber roofs are better than vinyl roofs. It has a 12 year guarantee!
TRUTH
Rubber is a natural substance. Rubber roofs will DRY ROT if it not treated with a rubber roof treatment 2 to 3 times a year. READ THE WARRANTY. The rubber roof material itself is warranted for 12 years. The labor to replace the roof material is only warranted for ONE YEAR. The cost of the rubber material for a 30 foot trailer is only about $800. The labor to replace the rubber roof can run $3000 to $4000. And it will take 3 to 5 years for the rubber to dry rot if not treated.
Vinyl is man-made and will not dry rot like rubber. It also has a 12 year warranty on the material. But it has a 5 YEAR WARRANTY ON LABOR.
Why do most manufacturers use rubber instead of vinyl?
The rubber and the vinyl cost about the same. The truth is that the rubber roof material is a lot more production friendly and can be installed in less time than the vinyl. The rubber roof material will stretch if they get it on crooked. The Vinyl is thicker and will not stretch. If they get it on crooked, they have to take it off and start over. If the save 30 minutes a trailer installing the rubber roof, and build 20,000 trailer a year that translates into a savings to the manufacturer of several hundred thousands of dollars.
MYTH
All aluminum frames trailers are created equal
Fact
Many manufacturers advertise aluminum framed trailers, but not all are 6 sided aluminum. Many are still using wood framing in the floor, ceiling and front and rear ends. Only the side walls are aluminum.
There is really nothing wrong with wood framed trailers and fifth wheels. They have been building them for 40 years or more and they have stood the test of time.
However, aluminum is lighter than wood and is not as likely to sag under the weight of the roof air conditioner over a period of time. And, of course aluminum will not rot like wood if moisture gets to it.
Price can vary greatly between different brands of trailers who advertise aluminum framing. The six sided aluminum trailer will be more expensive than the trailer that only have aluminum side walls.
Most companies that manufacture 6 sided aluminum framed trailers will specify it in their brochure.
SIX SIDED ALUMINUM FRAMED TRAILERS ARE MORE EXPENSIVE BUT WORTH THE MONEY
DEPRECIATION
All travel trailers and fifth wheels depreciate in value from the minute you pull it off the dealership lot. That’s just a fact of life just like an automobile.
As a rule of thumb, the best time to trade is after 5 years. At the end of five years your trailer/fifth wheel should be worth about 60% of what you paid for it new.
For example:
If you paid $20,000 for a trailer, in five years you trailer should be worth $12,000. (60% of the original purchase price) Therefore it cost you about $1600.00 a year (or about $134.00 a month) to own your trailer. That’s about the price of a nice hotel room for just one night!
Camping is still the least expensive way to travel and enjoy life.
However, here is something to consider when purchasing a travel trailer or fifth wheel. If you purchase a low priced (entry level) camper with a rubber roof, and you haven’t done your maintenance on the roof and it has dry rotted. The dealer will deduct the price of a new roof that could mean getting $3000.00 to $4000.00 less for your trailer.
If you purchased one with a particle board floor that has gotten wet and deteriorated, or a laminated floor that has separated and is weak, the dealer will deduct even more.
Now instead of having a trailer worth $12,000 you trailer is only worth 4 or 5 thousand dollars.
RECOMMENDATION
If you don’t have a building to keep the trailer in when you’re not using it, make sure if nothing else, you buy the trailer with the VINYL ROOF NOT RUBBER, AND PLYWOOD FLOORS.
Yes, you will pay more for the trailer on the front end but you will save thousands on the back end. After all, what the trailer really cost you to own is the difference between what you paid for it and the amount you got for it when you sold or traded it. In the long run the cheaper trailer will cost you a lot more money.
MYTH
I CAN BUY CHEAPER OVER THE INTERNET.
FACT
I have heard some horror stories about people buying RVs over the internet. Especially used. Pictures don’t always show the whole picture. You can’t see if the walls are solid or the floor is weak or a dozen other things that could affect the value of the trailer.
On new units many customers have been taken advantage of by internet dealers leading them to believe that some of the optional equipment was standard and only after they get the unit delivered do they find out different. Some dealers don’t even PDI (Pre-delivery inspect) the unit. They don’t put propane in the unit so it’s not tested for gas leaks and a truck driver delivers the unit to you who knows nothing about the unit and you are left alone trying to figure out how to use it.
A wise man once said “DON’T PAY FOR ANYTHING UNTIL YOU GET IT!” And of course the internet sell requires the unit to be paid for before it’s shipped.
Another problem is that most dealers will not service or perform warranty work on units bought over the internet from another dealer. And even if the manufacturer requires them to work on units sold on the internet, (which most manufacturers don’t) you will find yourself at the back of the line and it will probably take months to get even the smallest problem fixed. Most dealers feel that if they weren’t good enough for you to buy from, that they are not good enough to work on it.
You local dealer has a lot invested their service departments, parts department, and technician training all spent to insure they can give you service after the sale. The local dealer will PDI the unit, check everything out, making sure it work properly, inspect your hitch to make sure it’s safe for you and your family, and take the time with you to show you how everything works. And he will be there for you if you ever have a problem with your unit.
The internet dealer has to pay the same amount for the units as your local dealer. If you find a good price on a unit you want to buy on the internet, print it out and take it to your local dealer and give him an opportunity to meet the internet price. Your local dealer wants your business. If he has to take a small profit than normal I believe you will find he will match or may be even beat the internet deal to earn your business. THIS IS IN YOUR BEST INTEREST because you now have someone to give you the service you deserve. And MOST IMPORTANTLY YOU CAN SEE WHAT YOU ARE BUYING BEFORE YOU PAY FOR IT!
